If I were a tweeter, I would have posted status updates all weekend. So this blog is a series of status updates that cover a 90 hour period, starting Thursday afternoon.
Dropping Rhea off at the kennel, then home to pack for Paris weekend, so excited!!
10/28/2011@8pmOdd phone call from the CW ‘Bill’ Young Bone Marrow Centre in Bethesda, Maryland. Seems I am a potential match for someone who needs a marrow transplant. More on that later
10/28/2011@8am
Catching the train in Mons, in Paris by 930 am, fast train, no traffic.
10/28/2011@10am
Dropped the bags off at the hotel. Enjoying a coffee and croissant at a sidewalk café.
At the Arc de Triomphe, Perry wants to climb the steps to the top, all 420 of them.
Out of breath, but at the top. What a view (Note to self – need to exercise)
Down is way easier than up!!
Walking back up the Champs Elysee – huge lineup – for what? – Abercrombie & Fitch, why? -
The topless male models
More beautiful buildings, mostly limestone, I think. Check this out. The left section is actually a painted wooden façade, ‘tromp l’oeil’, to hide the restoration work beneath.
Back to the hotel to check in and then a late lunch.
10/28/2011@330pm
More walking – this time to the Opera House, of Phantom fame.
Typical traffic chaos – not sure how they know where they’re going, lots of horn honking.
Using the OpenTours bus pass – On /off at any of their stops for two days. First of many times passing the Louvre. The lines never did get any shorter. The bus tour took us by Notre Dame Cathedral, the National Assembly, the Obelisk, the Church of the Magdalene and the Eiffel Tour.
It was my intention to go up the Eiffel Tour, but the lines were incredibly long. This was a long weekend in Europe and Paris was full of tourists. Will save that for another time.
Found a cozy little bistro not far from the hotel for supper. Day One complete, time to relax with a wine.
Caught our OpenTour bus to the river cruise launch. Taking a boat cruise on the Seine, city sights from a different prospective.
A little something for my escort, the Musee d’Armees, which contains Napoleon’s tomb. He lies under the gold dome, small man, big ego.
10/29/2011@4pm
10/29/2011@630pm
A protest at the Place des Pyramides, brought traffic to a standstill. Riot police at the ready
Shopping Mecca – Avenue de Haussmann – le Printemps and La Galleries Lafayette
Notre Dame – finally – in line for admission to climb the tower at 10am, started the climb - another 400 steps (insert colourful expletive here) - an hour and a half later. Another fantastic view.
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10/30/2011@2pm
French crepes with fresh strawberries and whipped cream
10/30/2011@230pm
We completed our final day in Paris with a bus tour of the northern part of the city. We passed a peaceful Turkish protest at the modern Opera House, the Bastille, where Marie Antoinette lost her head and the infamous Moulin Rouge.
By the time we made the loop around. Then we noticed smoke. That peaceful protest had turned ugly and now there were two factions, lobbing Molotov cocktails at each other and the police lobbing tear gas at everyone.
10/30/2011@6pm
Dinner at a brasserie not far from our hotel, then pick up our baggage and a cab to the train station. Home to Mons by 10pm.
What a weekend!! I really love that city!!
